He confounded American commanders in Iraq and all but saved the regime of Bashar al-Assad. But until recently, few people outside of military circles knew the name of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. He's a public and popular figure in his home country now — and just as powerful as ever.

Ahmed al-Jumaili had only been in Dallas for less than three weeks when he was shot and killed. But members of the Muslim community in north Texas say hostility and hate crimes are nothing new, and have been on the rise in recent years.

Updated

03/07/2015 - 9:30am

Iraq says ISIS has begun bulldozing the ancient city of Nimrud, once the capital of the Assyrian Empire, near Mosul. If true, it would be an enormous loss and an attack on the shared heritage of humanity.

A major offensive against ISIS forces is under way in Iraq, and the Iraqi army is getting plenty of support from Iran and its Iraqi Shiite allies. One country that isn't getting involved, however, is the United States.

A battle has begun in Iraq for control of the city of Tikrit: Saddam Hussein’s hometown. ISIS has held it since June last year, and now government forces are trying to take it back. But there are concerns that Shiite militias might seek vengeance for ISIS atrocities.

Last week, a group of ISIS fighters destroyed ancient statues and artifacts in the museum of Mosul. Iraqi government responded on Sunday by re-opening the Baghdad Museum, giving people in Baghdad their first glimpse of national treasures in more than a decade.

Confetti rains down while the Bud Clydesdales lead an American veteran on his surprise welcome home parade. We asked our network of veterans what they thought of the ad. Marco Werman speaks with the mother of a Marine who served in Afghanistan.

Updated

12/15/2014 - 10:30am

It's reminiscent of a black-and-white pirate flag and, for some, it conjures up similar feelings of death, destruction, outlaws and violence. Here is our quick explanation of the symbolism of the flag and the meaning of its Arabic phrases.

Henry Kissinger grapples with the underpinnings of global conflict in his new book "World Order." He spoke with PRI's The World host Marco Werman today about a range of issues, including the war on ISIS. But when we asked about his role in the 1973 coup in Chile, he refused to answer.

ISIS' self-proclaimed Islamic State is crumbling. With momentum lost and victories in short supply, the terrorist organization has struggled with the most basic responsibilities — like keeping the lights on.

Nahida Ahmed Rashid began her military career years ago, fighting for the Kurdish separatist cause. Now she's the highest-ranking woman in the Kurdish peshmerga and squaring off with her troops against Islamic militants who've taken northern Iraq by storm.

One day, Dean Parker was watching the news on TV. The next he was packing up body armor and preparing to fight with Kurdish forces against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria. Now he's looking for a flight home — and knows he has some explaining to do to the FBI and Homeland Security.

Iraqi authorities are going to great lengths to pull off a national vote for its parliament on Wednesday, the first since the US troop withdrawal in 2011. The hardest part is to create a sense of normalcy in a country suffering from unrelenting sectarian violence.

A new survey asked for opinions about how women should dress in public in the Middle East. The choices included images of women wearing different kinds of head coverings. The results and approach have been widely criticized. So Lebanese satirist Karl Sharro decided to do his own "survey" on what American women should wear.

Yoga's not the first thing that springs to mind when thinking about treatment for PTSD in veterans. But from the VA a to the Pentagon, yoga classes are becoming not just commonplace, but in some rehabilitation programs mandatory.

Updated

03/07/2015 - 9:30am

Iraq says ISIS has begun bulldozing the ancient city of Nimrud, once the capital of the Assyrian Empire, near Mosul. If true, it would be an enormous loss and an attack on the shared heritage of humanity.

Nahida Ahmed Rashid began her military career years ago, fighting for the Kurdish separatist cause. Now she's the highest-ranking woman in the Kurdish peshmerga and squaring off with her troops against Islamic militants who've taken northern Iraq by storm.

Fijian soldiers have been part of UN peacekeeping operations in Iraq since 2004. Five have been killed and others are being held captive by the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. One way the brigade stays committed and strong is to sing. And they believe it keeps them safe, as well.

Had things been a little different, Jiyayi Suleyman might have been a peshmerga fighter alongside his uncle and other Kurdish troops. Instead he's a police office in Nashville trying to keep the city's residents there safe.

When Army veteran Ron Capps first exhibited symptoms of post traumatic stress he was unsure about what to do and where to turn. We take a look at his journey to get help and talk and speak with a military psychiatrist about the path to diagnosis and treatment of PTSD.

The world has seemed pretty scary this year. War, polar vortex, Ebola, terrorism — they've all made an appearance in 2014. But things are actually still getting better — and here's the data that proves it.

In recent months, Iraqi Christians have been displaced by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Christian leaders in northern Iraq are calling upon young Christian men fight alongside the Peshmerga and Iraqi army against ISIS. While thousands are heeding the call, most remain skeptical.